A Case of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder with Visual Hallucination-induced Severe Delirium / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

Objective: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by optic neuritis and myelitis. NMOSD is more prevalent in the elderly than multiple sclerosis. In particular, optic neuritis of NMOSD is common in the elderly.Methods and Results: We report an 82-year-old female patient with no medical history who presented with optic neuritis as the first attack of NMOSD. On day X−15, she developed horizontal hemianopia and was referred to our department. On admission, her visual acuity was hand motion. Cerebrospinal fluid suggested pleocytosis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hyper-intense lesion on the optic chiasm and optic tract. Steroid pulse therapy was performed, but from the night, delirium with visual hallucinations developed. She refused drug administration, removed the intravenous administration route, and was unable to continue in-hospital treatment.Conclusion: NMOSD often develops in the elderly with optic neuritis, and in addition to steroid therapy, plasma exchange or immunoglobulin therapy is expected to improve the prognosis. However, in our case, treatment was discontinued due to marked delirium accompanied by visual hallucinations. Visual hallucinations are more likely to occur in elderly patients with visual impairment, and clinicians should be careful and manage hallucination-associated delirium.

A case of neuromyelitis optica diagnosed with a chronic subdural hematoma / Journal of Rural Medicine

<p><b>Background:</b> Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is often found in the elderly owing to slight head trauma and is associated with several neurological disorders. Neurological deficits are cured by a simple surgical removal of the hematoma; however, these deficits persist if there is insufficient hematoma removal. It is rare for patients to continue having neurological disorders once the hematoma is removed.</p><p><b>Case report:</b> A 61-year-old woman presented with gait disturbance. She was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma through head computed tomography. After hematoma irrigation, her gait disturbance exacerbated, and she developed urinary tract dysfunction. Ubiquitous neurodegeneration in the midbrain and spinal cord was suspected owing to a hyperintense signal on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery of magnetic resonance imaging. The anti-aquaporin 4 antibody was detected in the patient’s serum, and she was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO).</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> Progressive NMO caused gait dysfunction and triggered head trauma, followed by CSDH. Although NMO rarely causes CSDH, it should be considered in uncommon cases of CSDH.</p>

A study of correlation of anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody and anti-aquaporin 4 antibody in centre neurological system demyelination disease / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody(Hp-IgG)and anti-aquaporin 4 antibody which are in neuromyelitis optica(NMO)and multiple sclerosis(MS).Methods: Serum specimens were collected from the 33 patients with MS,7 patients with NMO,and 35 health examination cases.Hp-IgG were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assasy and anti-aquaporin 4 antibody were detected by cell based assay respectively.The positive rate of Hp-IgG and anti-aquaporin 4 antibody were analyzed,and the difference of Hp-IgG positive rate was compared between patients with Hp-IgG positive and negative.Results: Serum Hp-IgG positive rate of MS,NMO and normal control groups were 69.70％,85.71％ and 42.86％ respectively with a significant statistically difference of Hp-IgG(P0.05).Serum anti AQP4 antibody positive rate of MS,NMO and normal control groups were 4.2％,85.71％ and 0％ respectively with a significant statistically difference of anti AQP4 antibody(P0.05).Conclusion: HP infection is a risk factor for the occurrence of MS and NMO,but not associated with MS and NMO patients with anti AQP4 antibodies.

The relationship between the neuromyelitis optica astrocyte damage and the patients with functional defect / 实用医学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between the damage of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) astrocytes (AS) and the onset of NMO, and investigate the relevance of AS damage with the severity of the patients with functional defect. Methods The levels of aquaprin4-antibody (AQP4 -Ab), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), apolipoprotein(ApoE),interleukins-6(IL-6), interleukins-10(IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF ) and serum of 30 acute NMO patients were tested by means of ELISA. The results were later compared with control group. And analysis of the relevance of the various index of the levels in CSF with the CSF AQP4-Ab level, the acute phase expanded disability status scale(EDSS) score of the NMO group were made. Results (1)The NMO group in CSF and serum AQP4-Ab, GFAP, IL-6 levels were higher than the control group (P < 0.05), and ApoE, IL-10 levels were lower than the control group (P < 0.05). (2)The CSF GFAP, ApoE, IL-6 in NMO group is higher than the serum (P < 0.05), and CSF AQP4-Ab, IL-10 levels were lower than the serum ( P < 0 . 05 ) . ( 3 ) The CSF GFAP , IL-6 levels and the CSF AQP4-Ab level were positively correlated (r=0.749, r=0.526, P<0.05), and the CSF ApoE, IL-10 levels were negatively correlated with CSF AQP4-Ab level(r = -0.571, r = -0.676, P < 0.05). (4)The CSF AQP4-Ab, GFAP, IL-6 levels and the acute phase EDSS score were positively correlated (P < 0.05), the CSF ApoE, IL-10 levels were negatively correlated with the acute phase EDSS score (P < 0.05). Conclusion The AS damage exists in the NMO and the damage severity may correlate with patient function defect. AQP4-Ab, GFAP, IL-6 may play important roles in the onset of NMO and the disease aggravating. The decrease of the ApoE and IL-10 may exacerbate NMO damage.

Neurite óptica em paciente com artrite idiopática juvenil / Optic neuritis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patient

O bloqueio do TNF tem tido sucesso no tratamento de algumas doenças reumáticas, como a espondiloartrite. Relatam-se muitas complicações infecciosas com a terapia anti-TNF, principalmente infecções bacterianas, micobacterianas, virais e fúngicas. A Entamoeba histolytica é um protozoário extracelular que causa principalmente colite e abscesso hepático, sendo que a perfuração intestinal é uma complicação rara, com alta mortalidade. O TNF é considerado o principal mediador da imunidade celular contra a amebíase. Inicialmente, é quimiotático para a E. histolytica, potencializando sua adesão ao enterócito por meio da lectina galactose-inibível, e depois ativando os macrófagos para matarem a ameba pela liberação de NO; assim, o bloqueio do TNF poderia ser prejudicial, aumentando a virulência amebiana. Descreve-se o caso de uma mulher de 46 anos com espondiloartrite que apresentou uma perfuração do colo por colite amebiana invasiva durante uso de anti-TNF.

Optic neuritis (ON) was rarely reported in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, particularly in those under anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha blockage. However, to our knowledge, the prevalence of ON in JIA population has not been studied. Therefore, 5793 patients were followed up at our University Hospital and 630 (11%) had JIA. One patient (0.15%) had ON and was reported herein. A 6-year-old male was diagnosed with extended oligoarticular JIA, and received naproxen and methotrexate subsequently replaced by leflunomide. At 11 years old, he was diagnosed with aseptic meningitis, followed by a partial motor seizure with secondary generalization. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram showed diffuse disorganization of the brain electric activity and leflunomide was suspended. Seven days later, the patient presented acute ocular pain, loss of acuity for color, blurred vision, photophobia, redness and short progressive visual loss in the right eye. A fundoscopic exam detected unilateral papilledema without retinal exudates. Orbital MRI suggested right ON. The anti-aquaporin 4 (anti-AQP4) antibody was negative. Pulse therapy with methylprednisolone was administered for five days, and subsequently with prednisone, he had clinical and laboratory improvement. In conclusion, a low prevalence of ON was observed in our JIA population. The absence of anti-AQP4 antibody and the normal brain MRI do not exclude the possibility of demyelinating disease associated with chronic arthritis. Therefore, rigorous follow up is required.

Clinical Efficacy of Plasmapheresis in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder and Effects on Circulating Anti-Aquaporin-4 Antibody Levels

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although plasmapheresis is becoming standard practice as a rescue therapy for neuromyelitis optica (NMO), evidence for the therapeutic efficacy of plasmapheresis is limited, and the effect of plasmapheresis on anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) levels in patients with NMO has not been reported. Here, our objective was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of therapeutic plasmapheresis and its effect on anti-AQP4 antibody levels in patients with NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 15 patients with NMOSD who had 18 acute attacks and received plasmapheresis because they did not respond to high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) therapy. Anti-AQP4 antibodies were measured before and after plasmapheresis. The primary outcomes were functional improvements immediately and 6 months after plasmapheresis, and the secondary outcome was the change in anti-AQP4 antibody serum levels following plasmapheresis. RESULTS: Plasmapheresis following IVMP therapy led to significant improvement in 50% of the 18 attacks in 15 patients immediately after the procedure was completed, and in 78% (14 attacks) after 6 months. Plasmapheresis was generally well tolerated in all patients. Anti-AQP4 antibody serum levels declined significantly following plasmapheresis, to a mean of 15% of the preplasmapheresis levels. Lower scores on the visual outcome scale recorded before an attack were associated with significant immediate improvement upon the completion of plasmapheresis (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Plasmapheresis following IVMP therapy effectively removed anti-AQP4 antibodies and was accompanied by a substantial improvement in the neurological disability of patients with NMOSD. Lower levels of pre-existing neurological damage may be associated with an improved acute response to plasmapheresis.

Neuromielitis óptica con alta expresión de acuaporina-4 y anticuerpos anti-acuaporina-4 positivos en suero / Neuromyelitis optica with high aquaporin-4 expression and positive serum aquaporin-4 autoantibodies

La presencia de anticuerpos IgG en suero, con blanco en los canales de acuaporina-4, es específica de la neuromielitis óptica (NMO). El 60% de los pacientes con NMO presentan lesiones cerebrales en la resonancia magnética (RM); en un 8% (mayoría niños) estas lesiones se consideraron "atípicas". Presentamos dos pacientes con NMO y lesiones en el SNC de alta expresión de acuaporina-4. Caso 1: varón de 50 años, que comenzó con pérdida de visión en ojo derecho (OD). Recibió tratamiento empírico con metilprednisolona 1 g/d x 3 días. Al mes presentó dolor generalizado y hemiparesia derecha; nuevamente recibió metilprednisolona 1 g/d x 5 días e IgG IV 400 mg/kg/d × 5 días. Recuperó la deambulación persistiendo el dolor y fenómenos paroxísticos en los 4 miembros. Potenciales evocados visuales: P100, ojo izquierdo (OI) 123 mseg. OD sin respuesta. La RM de cerebro (FLAIR) mostró hiperintensidad en nervio óptico derecho, hipotálamo y comisura blanca anterior. RM cervical: lesión medular extensa (5 cuerpos vertebrales). Caso 2: mujer de 53 años, con disminución de la agudeza visual en ambos ojos y parestesias en miembros inferiores que remitieron espontáneamente. Evolucionó al mes con cuadriparesia e incontinencia esfinteriana. Recibió metilprednisolona 1 g/d x 5 días, sin mejoría. Potenciales evocados visuales: P100 OI 124 mseg. OD 128 mseg. RM cerebro: (FLAIR) hiperintensidad hipotalámica y periacueductal. RM cervical: lesión medular extensa (7 cuerpos vertebrales). Anticuerpos anti-acuaporina-4 positivos en ambos pacientes (inmunofluorescencia indirecta). Las lesiones consideradas "atípicas", como aquí, en sitios con alta densidad de proteínas canales de agua AQP4 deberán considerarse para el diagnóstico diferencial.

Disease-specific aquaporin-4 antibodies (NMO-IgG) are the main effector of lesions in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients. Brain MRI lesions are detected in 60% of them, with 8% (almost infants) at sites of high aquaporin-4 expression. Patient 1: A fifty-year-old male with loss of vision in the right eye. Empiric treatment with metilprednisolone 1g/d for 3 days was indicated. After 30 days he complained of generalized pain, and a right hemiparesis was evident. The patient received bolus of metilprednisolone 1g/d for 5 days plus IgG 400 mg/kg/d IV for 5 days. He recovered ambulation but persisted with pain and paroxysmal phenomena (Lhermitte). Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP): P100 left eye 123 ms, right eye without response. Brain MRI (FLAIR) showed hyperintensity in the right optic nerve, hypothalamus and anterior white commissure. Cervical MRI showed extensive spinal cord lesion to an extension of 5 vertebral bodies. Patient 2: A fifty-three-year-old female who referred decreased visual acuity in both eyes and paresthesia in lower limbs which subsided spontaneously. One month later the patient evolved with cuadriparesis and sphincter incontinence. No improvement was observed with bolus of metilprednisolone 1g/d for 5 day. VEP: P100 left eye 124 ms, right eye 128 ms. Brain MRI (FLAIR) disclosed hypothalamic and periaqueductal hyperintensity. Cervical MRI showed extensive spinal cord lesion to an extension of 7 vertebral bodies. NMO-IgG antibodies were positive in both patients (indirect immunofluorescence assay). NMO brain lesions at sites of high aquaporin-4 expression, once considered "atypical" for their topography and infrequency in adults, should be borne in mind when considering differential diagnosis.